Pressure signal



Patented Ot. 1926.

- UNITED STATES 1,602,770 PATENT oFFici-:-

:uns m'ron, or cm'cae'o, rumors, AssIGNon To LIQUID cmomc, conm,

or menno; rumors.' A oonrom'rIoN or ILL'nroIa PRESSURE' SIGNAL.

Applicationl med Iovember 19, 1928. Serial Ilo. 875,661.

My invention is designed more particularly for use in connection with apparatus.

for char i water intended for beverages with caronic acid gas such as is used at soda fountains, but it will be apparent from the following specification that it is also useful in many situations and apparatus involving the use of a gas under pressure where a certain minimum pressure must be maintained. In connection with soda fountains it is common to employ a carbonator in which the soda water is charged with gas on its way to the dis ensing apparatus, the gas being supplied rom cylinders or containers in which it is under a high pressure or in liquid condition.v` It1 is important for the operator to know when the gas in the container approaches the point of exhaustion or the pressure is so lowered therein that insutlicient gas remains to properly continue the charging operation s o that a new cylinder or container of gas may be substituted for the exhausted one. My invention provides an automatic signal operated directly by the gas pressure when a predetermined low pressure in the container is reached.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood, however, that the specific diselosureis for the purpose of exemplilication only and that the scope of the invention is defined' in the following claims in which I have endeavored to distinguish it from the prior art while claiming it as broadly as its novelty will permit. In the drawin Fi 1 is a lon itudinal vertical sectionpt roug a preferre form of the invention; and Fig.'2 a side elevation of a detail. f

The body of the device comprises a main asting 3, which maybe circular in 1an,

avi threa ed sockets 5-6 which communicate with said chamber through openings 7--8.

a central chamber 4 and a pair of` seat for the edge of the circular d ia h ragm 13. The diaphragml may be of ru ber or other suitable impervious, exible material and 1s clamped upon the seat b the circular base 15 of the cap eastl e base 15 is surrounded by the depeng skirt or iiange 16, and is secured to the main casting by screws 17 so that the diaphragm .is firmly clampedbetween the two castings. The diaphragm at its center is clam ed between a pair of disks 22--28, disk 22 ein formed on its under face with a ost 26 re uced and threaded at its lower en to receive a nut v29. The post extends throu h the diaphragm and the lower -disk and w en the nut 29 lis in place the disks are firmly clamped on op osite sides of the central portion of the diaphragm. It will be noted that the base plate 15 p the upper casting is recessed or rabbeted at 18 and that the disks 22 and 28 are chamfered on their adjacentedges to permit a limited vertical movement of the diaphragm. The lower casting is formed with post 26.

The diaphragm is pressed downward by a spring 21, the lower end of which surrounds t e upwardly extending post 23 on disk 22 and presses a ainst the upper face of said disk, said sprin extendin upwardly into the chamber 19 ormed in t e upper casting. The upper end of the spring bears a ainst a button 24, the position of which in t e casting may be adjusted by means of the adjusting screw which bears upon the upper face of said button. Obviously, the sprin may be so adjusted as to offset any desire pressurewithin the chamber 4.

The diaphragm' is desi ed to permit the operation of the signal w en thepressure in the chamber 4 falls to such a point as to be overcome by the action of the spring. In the preferred construction shown in the drawin the signal is electrical and the fall of the iaphra causes the operation of a switch in the circuit of the signal. The signal may be of an?l known or approved type such for examp e as an electric ell. In the drawing, I have shown a well known type of switch vwhich is suitable for the purpose. The switch 31 as it is found upon the market is bodily ineorporated`in the apparatus being enclosed in a chamber 20 provided in the top casting for this purpose as seen in Fig. 2, which is a side elevation of Aa central boss 30 which forms a stop for the the switch with one-half of the casing removed. The switch comprises a swinging Contact member 40 which is caused to swingV from open to closed position by a reciproeating member 41, the ends of which project beyond the housing 42 and, as the switch is ordinarily used, are pressed by the fingers respectively accordingly as the circuits are to be opened or closed. A s seen in Fig. l, the casing of the switch is secured to the wall of the chamber 20 by screws 43 with the actuating bar 4l in vertical position. The lower end of the actuated bar is adapted to be engaged by the plunger 44 extending through an opening 45 in the lower wall of chamber 30 and in position to rest upon the disk 22 at 46. The switch is so arranged that by the upward movement ofthe actuating bar, it is opened and by the downward movement of said bar closed. The upper end of bar 41 is engaged by a plunger 47, the lower end of which is rovided with a plate or flange 48 between w ich and the upper wall of the chamber 2O a s rin 49 is compressed. The open side of t e c amber 20 is closed by the removable plate 50.

It will now be understood that when the pressure of gas within the chamber 4 is sufcient to maintain the diaphragm and its connected parts in its upper position the switch is maintained close against the ressure of spring 49 by the engagement o the plunger 44 with the lower end of the actuating bar. When, however, the pressure in the chamber 4 falls to` such a point that it is overcome by the spring and the daphragm drops the pressure of the plunger 44 on the actuating bar of the switch 1s over come by the spring 49 and the bar is shifted to close the switch and the electric signal is thereby operated.

The construction is relatively easy to in-I stall and reliable in operation.

I, claim:

l. In a device of the class described a housing having a gas chamber, means for connecting the housing to a gas container, a diaphragm closing one part of the chamber, a disk on said diaphragm, a spring bearing upon the diaphragm at one end and opposing the pressure in the gas chamber, an adustable abutment against which the spring bears at its other end, an electric switcl comprising a shell, stationary and movable contact and a reciprocating actuator, la plunger bearing upon said actuator and on theldisk, a spring pressed plunger also bearing upon the actuator and opposing the pressure of the diaphra m thereon, and a cast ing having a flange tween which and said housing the edge of the diaphragm is ficcured, said castm also having chambers in whichA the first said s ring and said switch are respectively housed.

2. In a device of the class described, a main body having a chamber therein and means for Vputting said chamber in communication with a source of as under pressure, a flexible diaphragme osing one side of said chamber, a top casting having a dan e between which and said bod the edge of t @diaphragm is clamped, saidy top casting having a spring housing chamber and a switch receiving chamber, a disc mounted on the diaphragm, a spring in said spring housing bearing on the disc, an electric switch mounted in the switch chamber and comprising a reciprocatin actuating plunger, said plunger bein gui ed at one end in the wall of said cham er, and a second plunger guided in said casting and bearing at one end upon said disc andA at the other upon the first named plunger.

3. In a device of the class described, a main body having a chamber and means for putting said chamber into communication with a source of gas under pressure, a flexible diaphragm closing one side of said chamber, a housing comprising a diskportion between which and the main body the edge of the diaphragm is clamped, a disk secured to the central ortion of the diaphragm, a sring in said housing bearing upon said dis ,means for adjusting therpressure of said spring, an electric switch enclosed in said housing and comprising an actuating bar, a spring pressed plunger enga ing said actuating bar to close the switch and a second plunger enga 'ng said actuating bar and operated by t e diaphragm to open said switch.

JAMES KANTOR. 

